“Thanks to the Avshalom and Yael forces, we are coming home”

Thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes on October 7!
The Yael Force and the Avshalom Force are special reserve forces established at the beginning of 2024 to provide security support and strengthen the readiness of standby squads in the Gaza Envelope communities, serving as a force multiplier in defending the towns!

Initiated by Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Becher, in cooperation with and led by Avshalom Haviv and Ohad Neimark, veterans of the 55th Brigade, who recognized the immediate need, the battalions were formed out of the understanding that trust between the Gaza Envelope residents and the army must be rebuilt.
The defensive force works in full cooperation with the standby squads in the communities.
“We are deployed together in many key points, creating a strong and large organic force.”

Alongside the standby squads, the volunteers of Avshalom and Yael are accompanied by representatives of the Northern and Southern Brigades and the Gaza Division, who ensure their training through exercises in Tze’elim and at the Southern Training Base. They undergo professional training in shooting and hand-to-hand combat to ensure that the force is of high quality and can handle any mission!

In addition to defending the communities, they participate in activities to rehabilitate the Gaza Envelope, forming personal connections with residents, fostering a sense of security, identifying with their pain, and becoming part of the communities returning home.

The names of the two forces were chosen to honor and preserve the memory of the fallen: Avshalom is named after the late Avshalom Haviv, a member of the Etzel underground. Yael Force is named after 55th Brigade fighters Yonatan Deitch, Omri Ben Shahar, and Liav Atiya, who fell in Khan Yunis.

As part of their training, we realized there is a real and immediate need to train the fighters in operating life-saving drones — drones that have been used by all IDF fighters since the beginning of the war.

The “Every Drone Saves Lives” project, in partnership with the Israeli Resilience Association, assists the community security apparatus in routine times and serves as a force multiplier during emergencies. It enables forces on the ground to control the situation, receive and transmit up-to-date situational awareness.

As the value of drones in combat became clear, demand rose, and drones became an inseparable part of the toolbox for forces defending the communities both in routine and emergency. They help restore security and save lives by quickly transmitting real-time information from the field.

Every donation saves lives — literally — and we would greatly appreciate your help in reaching our goal of 20 drone kits!